One of the priorities of Spokane Colleges is to prepare graduates for the workforce. As the economy, job market, and needs of employers and career goals of students shift, this becomes a complex task that can’t be done alone. To ensure it’s offering the programs and support that students need to build careers, Spokane Colleges partners with industry leaders, other colleges, and K-12 educators to understand and shape the big picture of our region’s workforce.
One venue for this collaboration is the Spokane Journal of Business’s annual Workforce Summit, sponsored by Spokane Colleges. This year’s summit included big-picture economic insights from state Regional Labor Economist Mike McBride, and discussions with leaders from major Inland Northwest employers including Kaiser Aluminum and Numerica Credit Union, and organizations including Greater Spokane Incorporated. Spokane Colleges Chancellor Dr. Kevin Brockbank moderated a panel discussion featuring leaders from these organizations, who emphasized three clear themes: the need for clarity, connection, and hands-on experiences.
Erin Vincent of Greater Spokane Incorporated underscored the importance of listening directly to young people as they enter the workforce. Through recent conversations with high school and college-age students, she said, one message came through consistently: “Young people are coming into our workforce because they want to have a voice in whatever environment they’re in . . . they want to have input.” At the same time, current students also need support with essential transitions—whether that’s completing job applications, navigating financial aid, or simply finding a mentor. “They need us,” she said.
Panelists echoed the idea that clarity and transparency are critical. Cheryl Stewart of Associated General Contractors explained that young workers are no longer satisfied with vague promises of advancement. “They want clarity,” she said. “They want to see what their first day looks like, what the training looks like . . . where they’ll be in five years.” Employers and educators who provide a step-by-step vision, she noted, are consistently more successful in sparking successful careers.
Kyle England of Kaiser Aluminum highlighted an additional challenge: fewer young people have early hands-on experiences that lead them to consider technical careers. “Getting young people specifically interested in manufacturing is fairly difficult,” he said, reflecting on the decline of the sort of mechanical tinkering that once drew teens into the trades. Programs that reintroduce students to tools, shop spaces, and real-world problem solving—such as high school CTE pathways and the emerging Trades High School at Spokane Community College—are essential, he argued.
But engaging students early is only half the equation. England emphasized the importance of meeting new workers where they are. “They want to know that what they’re doing is important . . . that they matter, that they’re not a badge number,” he said. Employers, he suggested, must invest more time in communication, mentorship, and building a sense of belonging.
Other panelists reinforced that investing in young workers also means supporting their upward mobility—even if it leads them beyond their first employer. Kristie Golden of Numerica Credit Union described seeing entry-level tellers pursue degrees through tuition support programs and later transition into their dream fields. Rather than seeing this as a loss, she encouraged employers to see it as “a way we build our community workforce to make other employers better.”
The panelists agreed that building an effective workforce requires collaboration across sectors—and a unified message that careers are built through partnership, not luck. As Stewart put it, “Everyone needs to be involved, and we all need to be saying the same thing.”